


You Waited

by Chelseadaggz



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-07
Updated: 2014-01-07
Packaged: 2018-01-07 21:38:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1124658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chelseadaggz/pseuds/Chelseadaggz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Companion piece to Gravity so if you haven't read that then this won't make much sense. This is the story of how Emma and Henry cope after the funeral and leads all the way up to Emma's last days when a certain someone makes a reappearance. Kind've AU. Trigger warning: Major Character Death ONE-SHOT</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Waited

It had been too hard after the funeral to remain in the mansion; there were too many memories that haunted the walls bringing them both back into their despair too often. They couldn't just sell it though, that would be an insult to the woman that had put her all into making it a home for the three of them…well, two of them now.

Every detail of the place that at one point in time had simply screamed Regina now seemed to reflect all of them; the marks in the walls from Emma's clumsiness were like the scars of a happier time. The paint splattering the cement floor of the garage reminded Emma of an afternoon the three of them spent working on one of Henry's school art projects, they had spent hours laughing and drawing, cutting and gluing – Regina had almost thrown a fit when Henry had knocked a paint can over in his haste to get away from Emma who had been threatening him with a tub full of pink glitter from the start. She being the mature adult that they all knew and loved had let her son take the fall for it completely much to his dismay and his adoptive mothers amusement.

" _Don't think you're getting away with it so easily."_

This had resulted in a deep gulp from Emma, not out of fear…out of lustful anticipation.

The desk in the study was still piled high from the town paperwork that Regina had never needed to do because they lived in a fictional town, no one knew they were there so the files were going nowhere but Regina still did them. She still took the time to answer every complaint, consider every plan to expand and help the town thrive because she took pride in the place that gave her a second chance at life. The decanter filled with the best apple cider had ever tasted still took pride of place on the coffee table in front of the couch from their last night of cuddling in front of the fire with a glass to relax them before bed. They would talk about that day's events and what their future could hold, more children? A change of scenery? Henry's future? Things that Regina would never get to take part in anymore.

The kitchen was possibly one of the hardest areas for the blonde to enter bar their bedroom; it still smelled of Regina. Emma recalled many occasions in which she would breeze into the kitchen, slump down onto a bar stool and simply watch as the brunette busied herself with another over-complicated meal without even blinking – she was incredible. Her perfume, while not overpowering, would fill Emma's senses making her lightheaded with the love and sheer passion she felt for the woman. She would still find herself amazed at how lucky she felt to be able to see Regina in such a way. So domesticated, so relaxed and with her guard down, she would turn to Emma with a smile and a spoon held out for the blonde to sample another one of her mouth-watering concoctions. Regina didn't need conformation that it was in fact far better than any Michelin star restaurant could produce but she knew the blonde liked to feel a part of the process, she was so much more thoughtful than any other person, except Henry, knew.

Emma was constantly saddened by the fact that Regina hadn't given others the chance to see just how incredible she was, how valued a person she could become in your life. She could simply walk into a room and Emma would feel instantly better than what she had, when she looked your way your heart could do nothing except surrender itself to her. So many people would never get to feel the utter satisfaction and joy that could come from one of Regina's smiles and now…well; now Emma would never get to feel that again.

* * *

Henry was coping pretty much the same, they both leaned on each other for support but were still at the point in which they were unable to talk about her for fear of falling into their despair and never resurfacing, Emma was still aware though that she had to be strong in order to keep them both from falling into the all too enticing arms of depression. It was too hard, too raw to even think about most of the time so they moved through their everyday lives like…ghosts. They hadn't realized just how detrimental to their lives Regina was, she was everything.

She was the order that kept them together, kept them organized and away from falling into their own little daydreams as they so often did – like mother like son. It was her food that kept them fed, kept them healthy and kept them happy. Her cooking tasted somewhat like her, no matter how skilled a chef was they would never be able to replicate what she had made because the secret ingredient would be her…her love for her family, for her life, for her happy ending. She was the heart of them, the one who felt so strongly and held on so tightly; she appreciated every second of their lives and reminded them just how lucky they were to have found each other. She reminded them that things like this didn't happen to everybody. She had been so broken and so lost until she had found Henry and ultimately Emma and she made sure every day to tell them how precious they were to her.

* * *

It had taken Emma around about a month to find a new apartment in town big enough for Henry and her, when the move day came David and Snow had agreed to pack up the downstairs but left the bedrooms for Emma and Henry to sort through at their own pace. Henry had requested that since they were keeping the house off the market and saving it for a time in which they felt better equipped emotionally to either move back into or to ultimately sell it then he would wait a little longer before sorting through his room. Emma couldn't wait however, she couldn't bear the thought of the bed being unmade, the curtains being closed casting her place of happiness into darkness and so had ventured over to the house reassuring Snow that she would be okay alone, and she needed to do this alone.

In the month of living in the house after the funeral she hadn't dared enter the room, the shadow cast by the closed door was the most she had seen of it and now was the time to face her fears and actually enter.

The ascent up the stairs had never seemed so long nor the wooden banister so cold, her heart was beating madly in her chest and she didn't try to stop the silent tears falling from her eyes, what was the point? Holding them in caused her as much pain as it did to let them out. The carpeted hallways seemed smaller somehow as she slowly made her way over to the wooden door that once led to the woman she loved, that once opened into a room that marked her future, the future she was going to forge to her soul mate – her Regina.

As soon as the door was opened Emma's breath caught in her throat as their life together washed over her. Their first time together, Emma had expected that if she were to ever have sex with the brunette it would be full of anger and hate, the viciousness they felt toward one another would spill over into a much more physical showing but instead it was tender, loving, affectionate. It was never just simply sex, they had made love and it only grew stronger with every passing day. The mornings spent lying in bed with the covers thrown onto the floor as they fed each other, laughed, talked about their pasts and facing what was yet to come. The nights they had forgone anything other than just being content to hold each other and feel their chests rising and falling at the same time – becoming one, a unit.

She had made her way slowly over to Regina's dressing table; the chair was still pulled out from the last morning the brunette had been here. Her brush lay on the polished wood with a solitary dark hair tangled within its teeth, a small insignificant part of the wondrous woman it once belonged to but now it meant so much, it was a piece of her. The brush, Regina had informed Emma, had once belonged to Snow. Emma had been sworn to secrecy before being allowed to know this and when she had agreed never to speak of it to anybody Regina had relented and shared the story with her.

* * *

" _She really was a beautiful child and so full of life," it still shocked Emma that Regina had finally gotten to the point in which she could talk about her mother without her trademark scowl or the anger lacing every syllable. "She often had nightmares whilst her father was away and so tended to come to my bedchambers seeking comfort. The best and quickest way I found was to comb the child's hair for her. It soothed her in the same way it had done me when I was very young...the maids used it to calm me after mother became slightly more aggressive in her punishments." She smiled at the supportive squeeze of her hand from Emma and continued on._

" _My 'meetings' with Snow continued long into her adolescence and in the end it just became routine, the nightmares had stopped but she was so used to me at that point that I had to continue on." Regina paused for a moment, brow furrowed in thought and Emma simply waited patiently, "I used to think I did it so as not to arouse the girls suspicions when carrying out my plans for her father," Regina had explained to Emma unashamedly her plot to kill King Leopold and to her surprise the blonde had agreed instantaneously with her decision claiming she would've done the same, Regina knew she loved this woman for a reason, "but I think now it was a way for me to hold onto my last part of sanity, the last memories of the woman I used to be before the darkness took hold."_

" _The woman you are now." Emma had stated to which the brunette had blushed and smiled gently up at her whilst toying with the handle of the ornate brush._

" _When it came to choosing my things that I wanted to bring over to this world with me…I couldn't seem to leave it behind. I didn't want to."_

* * *

This was another thing that saddened Emma, Snow would never realize that Regina had never truly hated her, had never truly blamed the woman for Daniel's death. It was all part of Rumpelstiltskin's plans anyway, they were just pawns in his game.

Her fingers ran over the back of the chair just as they had many a time before whilst Emma had sat fascinated with the way Regina put her make-up on, the woman was devastatingly beautiful without any make-up on whatsoever but it was the way she knew just how to bring out each feature that fascinated the blonde. The way she knew how to put just enough mascara on in order to darken her deep brown eyes in order to intimidate with merely a glance, the peach blush that highlighted her prominent cheekbones, the dark crayon that she used sometimes to overdramatize the freckle that lay to the side of her mouth in order to seduce. It was after skimming her eyes over all of these products that were laid out in front of her that Emma's eyes finally fell on the woman's trademark application and the root of Emma's interest – her lipstick collection.

Lipstick to Regina was like her armour, her barrier and her message to the world. The shade she picked would aid the mood she was in or the purpose in which she spoke. Emma had come to understand which lipstick meant what.

Burgundy was to accentuate and define her full pout, to lure people in and have them drinking her words without actually hearing what she was saying, it was her seductive technique.

Red was to convey one of two things, anger or love. Emma, in the past, had seen the shade many a time on the brunette. In her first few months in Storybrooke she knew the colour was dangerous but just like a bull to a red flag she couldn't help but become baited by it. In the first few months of their relationship she had come to realize it now came to symbolize the love and affection that Regina was feeling but just wasn't ready to convey verbally.

Then came her favourite, the dusky pink lipstick which wasn't much different to Regina's own lip colour. It showed the brunette's ease with the blonde now, she didn't feel the need to paint her face just as much, appearances were everything to Regina but her sacrifice of her bold colours, her armour meant the world to Emma – when that colour first made an appearance the blonde realized that things were finally moving forward and slowly Regina Mills was coming back to life.

She picked up the tube of her favourite lipstick and dropped it into the pocket of her red leather jacket, she would go on to keep it forever close to her just like the engagement ring dangling near her heart.

* * *

The door to Regina's closet was open slightly, almost inviting. A lump was forming in Emma's throat as she took in the small piece of clothing that was keeping the door from closing fully, it was a dusky gold colour and there was no mistaking what it was. She crept forward slowly still debating whether or not she wanted to open the closet and fully take in this particular piece of clothing. As she reached forward though and felt her hand come into contact with the material, her eyes closed automatically as something close to a memory flashed before her eyes, it wasn't her own though – it was Regina's.

* * *

_Her heart pounded in her chest as she stepped from the confines of the en suite bathroom and into her bedroom, she didn't have long before Emma would be home but she had to try it on now, she couldn't possibly wait. It hadn't been too long since she'd been standing with tears in her eyes looking in a full length mirror in the bridal shop with Ruby beaming beside her._

" _Mom, can you-" Henry stopped abruptly when he pushed the door open to his mother's bedroom and saw her standing beside the bed. "_ Woah."

_She worried her lip as she looked down at herself with uncertainty, "do I look okay?"_

_Henry couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from her, she had never looked so…"beautiful." He took in the way she blushed at his word and couldn't help but allow his legs to carry him over to her, "you look beautiful Mom."_

_Regina held back the tears threatening to fall at her sons compliment and swallowed the lump in her throat, "do you think Emma will like it?" Try as she might she couldn't keep the tremble from her voice as she waited for his answer._

" _Are you kidding? She's gonna love it!"_

" _Henry, there's something I want to ask you and you can say no if you want but I-" she stopped at the feeling of his small hand on her arm, she was beginning to babble and he could tell, she was grateful for his understanding._

" _I was wondering Henry, if you wouldn't mind…would you do me the honour of walking me down the aisle?" She flinched as he stepped away from her, she knew that their relationship had become a lot better but perhaps he wasn't ready for this level of affection, maybe she still wasn't deserving of his love. Panic was coursing through her veins as more tears welled up within her eyes._

" _Mom?" He asked with such innocence it made her heart melt._

" _Yes my darling?" she asked still battling to force the lump out of her throat, he stepped closer once again and grasped her shaking hand between both of his._

" _I would love to."_

* * *

Her sobs shook her entire body as she crashed onto her knees with her fingers entangled within the train of Regina's wedding dress, the dress she will never get to wear, the dress Emma will never get to see her in as she speaks her vows and the dress Henry will never get to walk her down the aisle in. What had they done to deserve this? Why couldn't they have gotten their happiness like so many others in this town had managed to? Why them?

She wasn't sure how long she had lay there curled upon the carpeted floor of their bedroom, the light from the window had appeared to fade away before she noticed the hand on her shoulder, the stifled cries from the woman kneeling behind her. Emma had all but run out of tears to cry as she took in the form of her mother, looking over to the doorway she found her father to be standing with his head bowed so as not to show the tears filling his eyes.

Emma couldn't speak, her voice hoarse from her heart broken sobs, she couldn't move either. The ache within her was far too overpowering and she was sure there would be no coming back from it, there was no possible way of getting through this…it was just too hard.

* * *

**Almost 12 months later**

"We're almost there kid." She stated to her son walking a couple yards behind her as they trekked through the forest. She inhaled the smell of the earth and the trees letting it fill her body entirely, it gave her the strength she needed to forge on ahead. It had been a year since that fateful day, a whole year and they had come so far.

Waking up that morning was probably the toughest thing the blonde had ever had to do although she had only fallen asleep a couple of hours before, she had to get through today though, for her son, herself and the woman for whom her heart longed every single day.

Henry remained quiet as he followed her step for step; he had returned to school around 2 months after Regina's death, he had still remained practically silent even then. Sessions with Archie had proven to help the pair of them, it was too hard at first to share with each other, their emotions almost always got the better of them proving the task impossible but with the cricket's understanding and gentle reminders that Regina was always with them it made it easier to communicate their feelings with time. Today was a day in which they would dedicate to sharing.

Emma smiled automatically as they came to the clearing; she noted the awe in Henry's expression upon taking in the beauty that was 'their place'. It was the last place that Emma had seen the brunette, whether that be in her head or otherwise she didn't care – it was real to her.

"Wow ma…this place is…." He had taken to calling Emma not 'mom' but 'ma', they had both decided that the first title was saved for only one woman in his life, the one who had brought him up to be the kind, gentle, loving boy he was.

"I know right," Emma smiled gently as she took in the sight of the place; it seemed as though it was frozen in time, nothing had changed. This, she supposed, was Regina's intention when she cast the altering spells on the place but something felt different to Emma and she couldn't put her finger on it. The sound of a small sniffle caught her ear though and she turned to see Henry wiping silent tears from his cheeks, "hey…" she soothed rubbing circles on his back, "what's wrong?"

She watched as he looked around once again then back to her, "…it's just so her." And he was right, it was her.

The softness and vibrancy of the grass beneath their feet was her, the sharp sturdiness of the glistening boulders was her, the soundtrack created by the wind through the trees and the water bubbling in the stream was completely her. It was overwhelming just taking it all in, Emma led them both over to the circle of daisies to sit.

"You wanna go first kid?" Emma asked gently as they settled into their places, he looked apprehensive at first but when a slight breeze picked up around them, caressing their senses as it went he seemed to find his courage. He pulled his backpack around and reached in for the picture of them together. He looked for a long time at her face, the way she wrapped her arms around him so protectively, the affection and adoration in her eyes that shone through even at a time in which he had begun pushing away. She had always loved him no matter what but he had come to realize too late that he had as well. He was brought out of his thoughts when Emma's hand came to rest lightly on his shoulder and as if he had spoken his worries out loud she answered and soothed them for him.

"She knows kid."

Taking this as his cue he stood from his space on the floor and looked up towards the blue skies, "hey Mom." His smile widened as the wind picked up at his greeting, he could feel her filling every part of him, he could almost feel the warmth from her hugs, the tender way she would ruffle his hair, the pressure from the kisses she would place to his forehead. "I miss you so much." He allowed his tears to fall but not to deter him from what he wanted to say. "Emma does to; I hope you're okay wherever you are." He could hear Emma's stifled sobs but let her cry, it's what she needed, what they both needed. "Ma says you can hear me whenever I need you, I hope that's true. I'm scared as well though Mom. I'm…I'm scared of forgetting you; I'm scared of forgetting how you sound when you talk. I don't wanna forget how it sounds when you laugh…I used to love when you laughed." He smiled gently as his bottom lip trembled in spite of himself, "I miss how you smell, I took your pillow from the house but I can't smell you anymore, I can only smell me and…and…" his throat constricted now as he began to verbalise the concerns he'd had for quite some time now, "I just…I just miss you Mom. Sometimes…I think I can feel you, like when I used to get scared and you'd come sit in my room till I fell asleep. I didn't know you were there at times but I could feel you and it'd make me feel better and I can feel you now…I hope that's you." He watched in awe as a soft white feather made its way from the sky and came to land on top of the photograph in his hand, he laughed softly as he picked it up and held it between his fingers, "I love you Mom."

He wiped his face fiercely as he took in the sight of his other mother on the ground; she was trembling slightly due to her attempts to keep her cries quiet. He kneeled down and placed his hand on her shoulder at which she turned and enveloped him in a tight hug which he returned eagerly. The air around them seemed warmer somehow as their hair flowed in the breeze, "hey," he whispered into Emma's ear pulling back so he could see her face, "she's here Emma…I can feel it."

The blonde smiled gently at her son as she stood and breathed in the almost golden air, "hello beautiful."

* * *

It had become a tradition for the two from then on every year to trek to the same spot and spend an afternoon remembering the most important woman either had ever met. The pain of losing her never fully went away but slowly it became more and more manageable.

Eventually Henry graduated high school and started college but no matter how busy or far away he was he would never ever miss that special day, ever.

Even when he married and had small children of his own he still made it to meet his mother often bringing his children with him, he kept Regina's memory alive within his little family constantly regaling his daughters with tales of their Grandmothers – the bravest women he had ever known and the true embodiment of eternal love.

Emma had lived out her years happily; she had carried on as acting Sheriff for the town vowing to keep the community going in homage to the woman who had created this safe haven for them. As she grew older she cut down on her work until finally retiring and handing the reigns over to Ruby who had become full time deputy not long after Regina's death. She helped keep Emma sane and was a strong shoulder on which the blonde could lean need the time come.

Mary Margaret and David had lived long lives content within their job roles and had died just as everyone had expected, wrapped in each other's arms whilst sleeping peacefully one summer's night. It had been a hard blow for the town but it wasn't unexpected, just another sign that life had indeed moved on.

Emma hadn't moved back into the mayoral mansion, she couldn't live there alone; it was a place in which memories of true love had been born and should be left untainted by sadness and sorrow but the garden however was somewhat of a sanctuary for the elderly woman. She spent most of her days basking in the glow of the sun whilst tending to the flowers that surrounded the garden like a beautiful mosaic, it had always been Regina's pride and joy and so Emma had wanted to keep it that way.

It was a warm summer's day when it happened, she had just gotten off the phone from Henry hearing about the newest addition to their beautiful family. His wife Grace had given birth to another little girl whom they had agreed to name Regina, Emma's heart had soared at this.

" _You make sure you remind her everyday just what an honour it is to have that name my boy." She had said to her son._

_He had laughed softly in response hoping that he and Grace would have the same love and devotion for each other that his mother's had for each other even if one was no longer around to reciprocate it, "you can tell her yourself Ma."_

She was kneeling in front of the apple tree cutting away the weeds that had begun growing around it when a shadow fell over her.

"Hello my love."

Her breath caught in her throat as she slowly turned to face the one person she had longed to hear for so long, it couldn't be could it?

"Regina…" she breathed as she took in the warm smile from the woman looking down at her, the dark eyes framed beautifully by deep brown lashes. The corners of her eyes crinkling just as Emma remembered from her showing of love, the perfectly coiffed shoulder length brown hair was shining from the sun. It was her, she was here.

"It's me baby." Emma took the dainty manicured hand that was being offered to her and was shocked to find that her own looked nothing like it had those past few years as she aged, the wrinkles and age spots had disappeared and as she was pulled to her feet she noticed the absence of the ache within her bones, she felt incredible. Was that…was that a blonde curl that had fallen in front of her eyes? She was pulled out of her wonderings however when it was brushed behind her ear by the hand of the person she had been aching to see again for so long, she held onto her wrist tightly as she turned her head to kiss the palm.

Regina sighed contentedly as she felt the love from Emma radiating towards her, she stepped closer and cupped the blonde's face, "I've missed you so much." A tear fell from her eye as she took in the form of her fiancé, her true love, her soul mate. She looked just as she had on their last day together – fate was indeed kind.

Emma finally seemed to catch on as she noticed the red leather of a jacket that had long been put into storage for safe keeping next to an unworn wedding dress; she was Regina's Emma again. "Not as much as I've missed you." And with that she pulled the brunette into a deep kiss, it was deliberately slow as she relished in the feel of Regina's tongue massaging her own. It wasn't the need for air that forced them to pull apart from each other; it was the need to look at each other once again, the need to know that this was actually happening.

Watery green eyes searched glossy brown eyes for the answers she already knew, Regina didn't need to do anything but nod for Emma to understand. She looked away to hide the worry for Henry as it flashed across her eyes but was stopped when Regina's warm hand lifted her chin to connect their gazes once more, "Emma, he's going to be fine. He has his own beautiful family now, thank you for raising our boy to be such a wonderful man."

A tear fell now from Emma's eye, not in regret for leaving their son but in recognition of what was happening, Regina had come for her.

"…you waited."

 


End file.
